Contact maker and interrupter for ignition systems.



W. H. BROVVN.&W- C. BRIN'I'ON, JR.,

CONTACT MAKER AND INTERRUPTER FOR IGNITION SYSTEMS. APPLICATION FILED JULY 6. I9I5.

1,234,278; Pafnted July 24, 1917.

UNITED STATES I?*.i.TE T

'WILLIAM H. BROKVN, O3? Pl-IILADE'LPHIA, AND 'WILIJIAEE C. BRINTON, J 1%., O1 KENEEETT SQUAIt-tE, PENNSYLVANIA,

.SSIGNORS T0 PHILIPS-BRINTON COMFANY, O35 KENNETT SQUARE, PENNSYLVANIA, A CDRPOEATION 6'5 PENNSYLVANIA.

CONTACT MAKER AND INTERRUPTER F03, IGNITION SYSTEMS.

To all whom may concern:

Be it known that We, Winmiiir r1. BnovvN and lVILLL-mr G. BRINION, Jr.

vide an improved means for opening and closing the primary circuit in a single spark ignition system for automobiles. In such a system it is necessary that the circuit should be closed with certainty, but only momentarily in order to avoid a quick jump in amperage. It is also necessary that the contact .should be made with the desired certainty and regularity under all the Widely varying conditions arising in use. lhus the ,7

device must be operative, with equal certainty and efiectiveness, with engines provided With any number of cylinders and um der conditions, With any given engine, of maximum, minimum, and all intermediate speeds. .o

It is obviously desirable, if possible, to accomplish the required results by causing the circuit-closing member to positively effect contact by actuation from the camor timershaft. This has been so diflicult of accomplishment that the most generally used-type of contact device operates by advancing a movable member positively and providing a spring which, upon the release of said memleer, returns the same and thereby actuates the contact member toinake and break the circuit. An example of such a device is found in the Kent Patent, No. 978,030, dated December 6, 1910.

It has, however, been found entirely practicable to positively actuate th contact member to make contact by posi. 'ely advancing a primary member which in. turn positively moves the contact member into circuit-closing position and immediately thereafter causing the primary member to passbeyond the contact member and returning both members by a spring or pecification of Letters Patent. Patent-gr} July 24, 1531"? Application filed July 8, 1915.

Serial No. 88,225.

springs, the the primary ment, will be tact member vices are set Nos. 1,129,445 and 1.1293 5, dated February 1915, and in the Brinton application, Serial No. 41,665, filed July 24-, 1915, which, although filed as of a later date than this application, antedates our invention.

lieretofore, however, it has been found impossible to actuate the {circuit closing member directly and positively by a part moving with the timer-shaft to effect only a momentary closing of the circuit -with a small current consumption. That is, While it is acomparatively simple matter to arrange a shaft, movable contact and a fixed contact in such relation that the shaft in its rotation will cause the first contact to move against the second contact to close a circuit, no natural and obvious arrangement of such elements will respond to the requirements of actual use.

In our invention, however, We have succeeded in so constructing and arranging said elements that they will operate to veilect proper closure of the circuit with absolute certainty and regularity at all required speeds. in fact, owing apparently to the great simplification of construction Which our invention effects, the maximum number of proper and effective circuit interruptions per second which may be produced has not been determined by the most severe tests.

A preferred embodiment of our invention is slipwn in the accompanying drawings, in whic 1 Figure l is a plan view with the cap re moved.

Fig. 2 is a cross section.

3 is a section on'the line 3'-3 of Fig. 1.

Fig. :2 is an enlarged sectional view of one of the contacts.

The am-shaft or time-shaft (0 extends up through a base I) (which may be made h'ol- 10W to inclose a condenser chamber) and carries a head 0 of insulating material to which is secured the distributor conductor plate (Z. A cap 6 of insulating material fits upon the base 6 and incloses the top of shaft a, the head 0 and the contact device hereinguided in such movementby contact pm 0.

Fig. i, thebar 2' cannot after described. The cap 6 carries the common terminal post f and the binding posts 1, 2, etc.; the secondary current being closed successively through the several binding posts as the shaft a revolves, in a manner well known in theart.

Secured to and forming part of the shaft 01 is a disk having a periphery shaped, as shown in *ig. 1, to provide a number of cams or teeth It (corresponding, say,to the number of cylinders comprised in the en gine). Each cam is shaped so that it will contact with the contact member hereinafter described only throughout a relatively small part of the distance between corresponding parts of adjacent cams and so that it will move said member away from the axis of the shaft during the period of contact between said member and cam. Beyond the high point of the earn it is cut away abruptly to allow of the instant return of said member by an actuating spring.

The contact member 11 is shown as a bar which is slidable between two fiat faces formed by the hooked end of -a plate 7' projecting from a block secured to the base 6. The bar 2' is slotted at m, there being a projection 12' bent downwardly from one edge of the plate j and engaging said slot.

As the shaft (1 revolves in the direction of the arrow, it necessarily imparts a longitudinal movement to the bar z, the bar being the bend connecting the upper and lower sections of the plate The outer end of the bani is bent up and is provided with a contact nose 2" facing in the direction of extension of the bar. Immediately beyond the nose is the end of a This pin has a shoulder p which closes the open end of ahol-low holder 1' having a head 8. Between the head 8 and the shoulder p the pin 0 is of relatively small diameter and is surrounded by a coil spring 2,, which normally holds the contact end of the pin at a definite distance from the nose of the contact bar 2'.

The holder r is threaded in a bracket a, which is secured to a block '0 of insulating material.

It will be observed while the bar 2' is capable of swinging in one direction on the projection In, as a pivot, it cannot swing in the opposite direction. That is, under the impulse of the cams, when the shaft is rotating forward in the direction of thearrow, Saving but can only move forward longitudinally. But if the shaft is turned in the reverse direction the cams engage one longitudinal edge of the bar, thereby swinging it onthe projection n as a pivot, whereby no contact will be made between bar 2' and pin 0. When the shaft is rotating in a forward direction each cam will move the bar 2' outward a distance someeaters what greater than the space between the bar connects the upwardly turned part'of-the bar 6 with an upturned ear on the edge of the plate 7' nearest the shaft a. At the same time the spring 6 returns the pin 0 to normal position. i

The washer 3 on the outer end of pin 0, limits the movement of the pin in the direction of the contact bar.

Having now fully described our inven tion, what we claim and desire to protect by Letters Patent is a 1. A contact maker and interrupter com- 1 prising a contact forming one terminal of a circuit, a contact bar forming the other terminal of the circuit and movable longitudinally toward and into direct engagement with the first contact, a spring yieldingly restraining the contact bar from longitudinal movement, and a rotatable member adapted in its rotation to directly engage said contact bar and move it longitudinally and thereby close the circuit through said contacts.

2. A contact maker and interrupter'comprising a contact forming one terminal of a circuit, a contact bar forming theother terminal of the circuit and movable longitudinally toward and into direct engagement with the first contact, a spring yieldingly restraining the contact bar from longitudinal movement, a shaft whose axis is perpendicular to the direction of movement of said con-, tact bar, and a cam on the shaftadapted in its rotation to directly engage said contact bar and move it longitudinally and thereby close the circuit through said contacts.

3. A contact maker and interrupter comprislng a contact movable under tension in one direction, a cooperating contact movable under tension in the same direction and also pivotally movable under tensi n, and a cam rotatable on an axis perpendicular .to the common direction of movement of such contacts and adapted when traveling in one dimotion to directly engage the second contact in said common direction to effect direct engagement between said contacts. and when traveling in the other direction to swing the second contact on its pivot.

4:. A contact maker and interrupter com prising a contact bar movable longitudinally and also pivotally movable in one direction from its normal position, a rotatabl member adapted in one direction of movement to dlrectly engage said bar nd slide 1t longitudinally and in the other direction of movement to swing said bar pivotally, and a contact adapted, in the sliding move ment of the contact bar, to be directly engaged thereby to close thecircuit.

5. A contact maker and interrupter comprising a contact bar movable longitudinally and also pivotally movable in one direction from its normal position, a rotatable member adapted in one direction of movement to eiigage'said bar and slide it longitudinally and in the other direction of movement to swing said bar pivotally, a contact movable in the direction of movement or the contact bar and adapted in the sliding movement of the contact bar to be engaged and moved thereby to close'and maintain closed the circuit, and a spring adapted, in said movementof said contact, to be compressed and to return said contact to normal position after the retraction of the contact bar.

6. A contact maker and interrupter comprising a contact bar movable longitudr nally and also pivotally movable in one di rection from its normal position, a rotatable member adapted in one direction. of movement to engage said bar and slide it longi tudinally and in the other direction of movement to swing said bar pivota'lly, a contact adapted, in the sliding movement of the contact bar, to be engaged thereby to close the circuit, and a spring adapted to re turn the contact bar to normal position when slid or swung away therefrom.

7. A contact maker and interrupter comprising ashat't, a contact, a contact bar slidable into engagement with said contact and also pivotally movable, a guide for the contact bar preventing the same from swinging on its pivot in one direction, and a cam on the shaft adapted when rotated in one directlon to engage the contact bar and slide it along the guide and when rotated in the opposite direction to swing the contact bar on its pivot.

8. A contact maker and interrupter, comprising a contact, a contact bar slidable into engagement with said contact and also pivotally movable in one direction from its normal position but restrainedL from pivotal movement in the other direction, a shaft, a cam thereon having a sloping face and an abrupt face, the sloping face of said cam, in the movement of the shaft on one direction adapted to engage the end of the contact bar near one corner thereof and slide t. e same into engagement with. said contact, and, in the movement of the shaft in the opposite direction, adapted to engage the side edge of the contact bar near said corner and swing the same pivotally, and a spring adapted to returnthe contact bar to normal position after said cam in its movement in either direction clears said contact bar.

prising a contact, a coiiperating' contact the contact member, and adapted member havin diiierential movement and adapted in one movement to directly oil-- gue said contact, and a rotatable mi robe;- a1} .pted in its movement in opposite dircctions to directly engage the contact mem her and. impart to it one or the other oi its movements dependent upon the direction oi? rotation of the rotatable member.

10. A contact maker and interrupter comprising a contact forming one terminal oi the circuit, a slidable and pivotally movable contact member forming another terminal of the circuit and adapted in its sliding movement to directly and momentarily engage said contact, and a rotatable member adapted in itsrotalion in opposite directions to directly impart to the contact member its sliding and pivotal move] cuts respectively.

11. A contact maker and interrupter cornprising a yielding contact forming one terminal of the circui a contact member movable both slidably and pivotal. y, a spring normally holding the contact member from movement, and a rotatable member adapted in its movement in one direction to the end of the contact member, push it into circuit closing engagement with the yielding contact and then slide off the corner or in its movement in the opposite direction to the side or the contact member and swing it on its pivot and then slide of? the cor er thereof.

A contact maker and intcrru prising a contact iornt-ing one i the circuit and slidable in restrained from movement otherwise, operating contact member having a difi erential movement and adapted in one movement to directly engage said contact, and a con; terminal of 1 i i. line and.

a corotatable member adapted in its movement in opposite directions to directly engage the contact member and impart to it one or the other of. its incven'ients dependent upon the direction oi" rotation of the rotatable memher. i

13. A contact maker and interrupter comprising a contact forming one terminal of the circuit and slidable in a right line and restrained ironi'mm'emcnt otherwise, a co operating contact member having a sliding movement in a right line parallc' to that of the contact and having also a swingiru movement, and a rotatablememher adapted in its movement in opposite directions to direct y the contact member and impart to it one or the other of its movements dependent upon the direction of rotation of the rotatable member.

14. A contact maker and interrupter comprising a contact forming one terminal of the circuit, a contact member forming another terminal of the circuit, said contacts 9. A. contact maker and interrupter comboth being slidable along a common axis, and a rotatable member adapted to engage both being slidable the circuit, a

' her and slide it into engagement With said contact, said axes extending in parallel planes spaced apart.

16. A contact maker and interrupter comprising a contact forming one terminal of contact forming another terminal of the circuit and having a flat cam- \engaging end, a spring to retract the contact member from the contact, and a rotatable member comprising a cam having a sloping face adapted to directly engage the flat end of the contact member and move it into circuit closing engagement with said contact, said cam having an abrupt drop adapted, as the apex of the cam slides ofi the edge of the flat face, to allow the spring to instantly retract the contact member from the contact. I

In testimony of which invention, We have hereunto set our hands, at Philadelphia, on this 3rd day of'July, 1915. 7

WILLIAM H. BROWN WILLIAM C. BRINTON, JR. 

